Krissi's Quick Pick: Craft In America

Hi all, Union Riveter Krissi here with a quick pick for today.

As the daughter of a lawyer-turned-woodworker/stained glass artisan, I was fascinated by the initial episodes of the Craft In America documentary when they aired in 2007, and wanted to share this fascinating project dedicated to the exploration, preservation and celebration of craft and its impact on our nation’s cultural heritage.

Since it was originally released, Craft In America has grown from a small and fascinating PBS special to a non-profit educational resource for all things related to American handicrafts.  PBS is currently airing the third season of this award-winning series and have expanded their resources to include a full website, Facebook page, iPhone/iPad app, beautifully photographed book, exhibition and study center.

I especially like how the crafts are broken down by materials/medium.  You can browse through crafts in metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper/books and wood, and then start with the history of those crafts, or go straight for one of your favorite artists, if you like.

I hope if you haven't seen this series, that you will; if you have, that you'll watch the new episodes; and if you've yet to explore the website, that you'll take a minute to do that.

Happy clicking!

Krissi

Watch Craft in America Series Preview on PBS. See more from Craft in America.

Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends. She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose and she publishes on Modern Rosies every Friday.

Krissi's Packing Tape Image Transfer Tutorial

Union Riveter Krissi Sandvik is sharing her most popular tutorial of all time today! "Image Transfers" are a great way to layer ghostly images in your mixed media pieces, collages and polymer clay, they can be used as inclusions in resin jewelry and are a great way to transfer printed text to your work.  There are multitudes of image transfer techniques that use various printers, transparencies, solvents, Polaroid photos... the list continues to grow.  This is one of Krissi's favorite techniques - it's cheap, quick and easy! (originally published by Krissi's Art Studio on 2/17/2010)

 

Almost every single one of my mixed-media pieces has some kind of an image transfer in it.  Some are gel medium transfers (we'll do that another day, OK?), but most are packing tape transfers.  I prefer them because they are FAST and really easy.  If you goof up, you don't have to wait hours to fix your mistake.  Packing tape is also great for transferring text onto just about any surface you can imagine.

You will need:

• laser printed* graphics** or text
• brushes/spatulas
• clear packing tape
• a bone folder or spoon
• gloss gel medium in soft or regular (I prefer regular for uneven surfaces)
• scissors
• a small bowl with water
• paper towels

*NOTE:  I use a pigment inkjet printer by Epson.  Pigment inks give an image transfer that is nearly as crisp as a laser jet or photocopier. If you use a printer with water soluble inks, you will get a faint transfer, if any, when using this technique.
**IMPORTANT:  NEVER EVER use copyrighted images (especially if they're mine).


Place a piece of packing tape carefully over your printed image. Avoid getting wrinkles or bubbles in or under your tape.

Using your bone folder or the smooth side of a spoon, burnish (rub!) the tape to ensure complete contact between the ink/paper and the adhesive.

Tear away the extra paper from the edges of your tape, turn your image over and peel away some of the paper from the back.  You do not need to peel off all of the paper, but removing some will help the water to penetrate and will make your life a lot easier about 2 steps down....

Submerge your image in a small bowl of room temp/cool water for a few minutes (5 to 10 is usually good, but if you forget it for a couple of hours, don't panic - it's all good).

Using only your fingers, gently rub the paper until it starts to pill up.  Continue to rub at all of the paper residue until it is completely gone.  Your tape will not be crystal clear, but you should not feel any rough spots or bits of paper left.

Once you have removed all of the paper residue, let your tape dry on a paper towel.

Trim up your image and do a dry fitting. Trim more if needed.

Spread a generous amount of gel medium on your working surface and brush some on the back of your image/tape.

The tricks (and the part where you get messy!):

• Place your image on your working surface and put a little gel medium over the top to reduce friction.   
• Using your fingers and starting from near the center of your image, press down gently, but firmly and rub out any bubbles.  
• Continue to press and rub firmly working outward so that all of the gel medium is pressed out from under the tape (you'll be able to tell when there are no white spots under the tape).  
• Run your fingers around the edges to ensure complete contact. You are going for as close to 100% contact between the tape and your working surface as you can achieve.  

This little trick will not only help eliminate the appearance of "bumps" around the edges of the tape, but will also reduce your drying time!

Troubleshooting tips for working on an uneven surface (like this lovely plaster heart here carved and mold poured by my pal and all around nice dude, Cesco). If you are working on an undulating surface, you may not be able to achieve 100% contact between the tape and your piece. So, here's what you do:

• Lifting beneath the image
1. Change your uneven surface into an even surface by adding gel medium and leveling it with a credit card or the edge of a spatula.  Let it dry, then start over with a new transfer (you don't want all the old gel medium gunking it up).
2. Follow the instructions above, but use the side of your finger to press out the extra gel medium from beneath your image.  You will see white spots of gel medium where your image was previously lifting.  Pretend you don't see them.  Your drying time will be increased, but your image will be perfectly adhered in the end.
• Lifting at the edges
1. Since tape will not stretch to follow curves, try trimming the edges of your image if that is where the lifting is occurring
2. A trick I learned for sewing curves: Rather than trimming away excess tape, try snipping inward toward your image in the problem area.  
3. Use a trick similar to #2 under Lifting beneath the image - use light pressure around the edges and allow gel medium to take up the space between your tape edges and your working surface.
4. Did you do a dry fitting?  Really?  Are you sure?  I don't think you did.  Either that, or you were in denial and thought this would fit (silly you).  Go back and resize your image and try again WITH A DRY FITTING THIS TIME.

Trick #2 for keeping the edges from lifting:

snip inward toward (not into) your image

To finish: Add a generous layer of gel medium over the top of the image to blend away the edges of the tape.  Your image will look cloudy/milky at first. Let it dry. Drying time can vary from a few minutes to a day or two depending on thickness of gel layers, porosity of your working surface, temperature and humidity.

Now GO FORTH AND TRANSFER THY IMAGES!

Here's a pic of the winged sacred heart I'm creating for my ol' school pal, Sam.  It's still in progress, but you can see several other tape image transfers (my apologies for the messy photo background).

Other stuff you can do with packing tape (I'll continue to update this as ideas come to me):

• Using rubber stamps and Staz On (solvent based) or Archival inks, stamp onto the clear side of the tape and then follow the application instructions above (you know to let your ink dry fully first, right?  I didn't need to tell you that, did I?)  Oh, and you do stamp/transfers with tissue paper too, but you get a much different look.
• For a "ghostly" looking transfer, use an inkjet printer to create your images.
• To transfer larger images, you can "butt" the tape edges up against each to pull the ink, then do it again when putting down your image(s).  Or, if you're lucky and you can find it...
• You can use the above techniques with clear CON-tact® paper for larger images!
• Oh, and YES, you can do this technique with colored copies for a really cool effect.

Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends. She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose and she publishes a tutorial or "Ask Krissi's Art Studio" feature every Friday.

From Krissi's Art Studio: Franken-velope (mailing envelope comes to life from crafty leftovers)

Union Riveter Krissi has been writing tutorials for many a year, and we asked her if she would republish a few here for our readers at Modern Rosies. Of course she said "you bet!"


This photo has gotten a lot of hits over the years, and I and receive e-mails every now and then asking where I bought it. I didn't buy it - I actually made it out of leftover craft stuff, most of which was destined for the garbage bin.

When I was just starting my business, I used to do a lot of swaps withother artists. It's a great way to challenge yourself and try things withoutpressure. Swappers LOVE getting decorated envelopes, too!

Of course you've saved padded mailers. Well, go find one. I'll wait.

Yes. That Folsom. Like the prison.

While you're in there, get some decoupage medium, a brush, your white paint (or gesso) and some pretty tissue papers (you could also use old newspaper or wrapping paper scraps).

If you don't have decoupage medium, you can use white glue, just dilute it a little first.

Tear off any glossy tape and labels that are easily removable and prime your envelope with white craft paint or gesso.

stripping the labels and giving the envelope a coat of paint is optional,but it does
give an even look to the piece, making the final look more finished.

Start with one side of the envelope and coat a small area with decoupage medium. Add pieces of tissue paper and recoat with glue/decoupage medium.

Keep going....

Keep going!

OK... That looks pretty good. Let it dry, then do the back side (optional, but totally cool looking and very much appreciated by your recipient).

You can work on the back while the front is still wet if you have a non-stick craft sheet, but I use the drying time as an excuse to play with my dog.

Abby the Jack Russell Terrier - around this town, I'm just "Mrs. Abby."

Once both sides are dry, you can address, fill and send your mailer, but I like to decorate mine even more. If you look at the original envelope, you'll see some cool looking hearts - here's how I did that.Using your favorite stamp, and some Staz On, Archival or other permanent ink, stamp an image onto a piece of tissue paper...

*cough* my Skelekitty© rubber stamps are available from Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps in New Mexico

...then affix it to the envelope. This technique will give you a better stamp impression than if you stamp directly onto the lumpy envelope.

Have some fun!

I glued a little red tissue paper in the heart. Don't bother staying in the lines.

And it's finished! No... wait. It needs something.

It still needs a little sparkle! I got the idea of adding iridescent glitter to mod podge from Kathy Murillo, The Crafty Chica on one of her art cruises. Fun times, people. Fun times. Anyway, just sprinkle a little glitter into a container with some decoupage medium, mix and apply. Super easy. If you're the glitter-on-everything type, you could pre-mix some in one of these handy dandy bottles to keep on hand at all times. You know, in case of a glitter-emergency.

Craty Chica brand glitters and Tulip Fashion Glitters are made byDuncan (ilovetocreate.com)

NOW it's finished!

back view of envelope and another view of Skelekitty

If you make a Franken-velope (errrr... I mean "upcycled art envelope"), We'd love to see it, so be sure to post a link in the comments!

Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends. She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose. She publishes a tutorial or "Ask Krissi's Art Studio" column every Friday on Modern Rosies.

How-to: Making a COLORED chalkboard. ANYWHERE!

Who says all chalkboard surfaces need to be black? Brooke has been excited about this project for a few weeks now, and the sudden splash of colors in her home have become a topic of conversation with any visitors that pop into the Brooke Van Gory Studio. So we want to scream it to the WORLD! Black chalkboard surfaces are NO MORE! Let them have COLOR!!!

Materials needed:

Acrylic paint in ANY color (match your decor, do team colors, do a RAINBOW!) in 2 oz bottles.
Box unsanded grout (around 4$ at any hardware store)
Sponge brushes (I found the larger the brush, the better)
Cheap paintbrush or popsicle stick for mixing
plastic bowl you don't care about
painter's tape
level (if doing squares)

So, as you all may or may not know, I really am not the best at being meticulous with measurements. With my sewing, I tend to fix any discrepancy in a line with a straight seam. In this case, I HAD to be meticulous. SO I first gathered all my tools together, and made sure I had a helper, to help hold the level.
First things first, pick a large enough spot to place your writing surface. For my first board, I decided to do a calendar shaped surface on a blank wall in the kitchen. For the top block (where the month would go) I measured out a 5" space, and had Evan hold the level, so I could tape straight under it, then I measured the space that I needed to cover width wise. In this case, the width of the area was 33", SO I figured each square (there would be 7 of them would be AROUND 4" wide (about, again....not rocket science, and by no means exact). For the pieces of tape in the inner part of the board, I actually took the painters tape, and cut it in half, so the spaced between the squares would be thinner. You don't need to do this, I just thought it would look more professional.
So I used the painters tape to grid out 7 squares across and 5 squares high. Which is KIND OF a lie, because first, I made 4 rows, then realized it needed to by 5 high, and went back later and added another row. So learn by my mistake, and do 7X5.

Now, for the mixing of the paint mixture. I used the little tubes of acrylic paint. You can find these in pretty much ANY color of the rainbow at any craft store. I got mine from Hancock Fabrics, and each bottle cost me 89 cents. TO do this large a surface, please buy 2 of each color....and again learn from my mistake, as it is not awesome to run to the store during dinner time with a hungry 2 year old to get paint cause you ran out, and want to finish.

Mix one bottle of paint with 1 tsp of unsanded grout. I got a HUGE box at Home Depot, and I keep joking that I still have enough to totally chalkboard the whole rest of the house. When you mix the paint and grout, it will be a little gritty in texture, this is normal. You do not really want REALLY lumpy paint, just gritty. Kind of like it you put a pinch of sand into Elmer's Glue texture-wise. NOW YOU ARE READY TO PAINT!

Use an up and down motion with the sponge brush. I found that the wider brush worked better then the more narrow brush. If there do happen to be lumps, just smear it in, they will break apart, and smooth out pretty easily. Let each layer dry, and re-cover the area as needed (I put 3 coats in each color) Let the whole area dry for at least 2 hours. When you go to peel off the tape, be careful, because the dried paint can stick to the tape, and pull off slightly. SO make sure you have a little dab of paint left of each color to do a touch ups. I even went onto the adjoining wall, to create a matching grocery board, so we can jot down items that we run out of during the week.

Now, stand back, and admire your amazing new chalkboard! This technique can be use for SO many cool things! Paint the front of greeting cards, the sides of gift bags, the outsides of rubbermaid containers, or even upcycle cereal boxed to make a portable chalkboard for road trips!
I loved doing this so much, I did another project in Evan's room, but with simple squares! This way, he can keep track of homework assignments, chores, and stuff he needs to keep track of! This was also to get him OFF my board because he could not stay away, it was too much fun!

Brooke is a mom of two, and in an attempt to take over the universe with awesome, she makes rad bags. You can find her shop here. She is also wife to an aspiring rock star, his band page is here.

Wenchkin'sTips for Toy Modification

Union Riveter Wenchkin is moving to Thursdays!  That means you get Part 2 of her 3-part series on toy modification a day early (see here for Part 1).  Lucky you! 

Thank you for joining the second installment on my tips for breathing life into old toys. If you were looking for painting and prepping tips, please go back to last Friday's post for that information.

First, I am adding this as a post since people often ask how I go about cutting up toys and smashing them together. Here I am going to tell you what I did to achieve my results but that does not mean there might be another way to do things. I am not afraid to experiment and possibly end up tossing a toy. If you really want to get into difficult sculpting projects or heavy duty mods, this is a bit beyond my skill level. However, when I first started I found all the info I could want and more here in the Kid Robot Munny Customizing Forums.

You will not find me there any longer as I chose to move on with ponies as they are a less expensive base unit then a munny so I can offer them to my clients at a lower price. No real reason other then that. The forums are filled with all the info you could ever want about anything having to do with toy mods.

So for this I thought it would be easier to post a picture and tell you how I got the results.

Sometimes the simple addition of an accessory makes the piece:

In this case, the person I made the pony for is a chain smoker. I took an ice pick, rammed a hole in the pony and cut up a tooth pick, painted it like a smoke and stuck it in there. 

Easy.

Pony Warhol!  His glasses and television are made from shrink plastic I purchased at Hobby Lobby.

(I may do a future blog of just diy shrink plastic stuff since there are so many things you can do with it.)

King Diamond's mic stand is polymer clay which was baked, painted and assembled with a tooth pick in the middle and shrink plastic "bones" on top.

And sometimes I actually modify the body of the pony before I paint it.

And my first real mod, Pony Kun. I cut the front of the pony's face off with an X-acto knife then glued cardboard over the hole, cut it down with my craft knife then gave it a few coats of gesso to smooth out the edges before I started painting. 

I cut Zombie pony's leg completely off, cut a stick the size I needed then used hot glue to fill the space around the edges and glued the leg back on. I also made cuts into the pony to ake it look torn and cut the eye out, I used hot glue to fill and give it somewhat of a socket then painted that area black so it would look sunken. I had originally taken out my dremmel for this then put it back as hot glue and pony plastic just gum up my bits.

This was two ponies cut in half and glued together. They did not just fit right, so I had to shave down the centers of both, one on the inside, one on the outside. I like to use hot glue to fill areas but it will not be enough to hold this kind of an edge (the toy would fall apart). When I glue two dolls together I ALWAYS rough the edges first with some sandpaper, then I use a light layer of super glue on both sides, set it, walk away, when I come back in ten that is when I fill the crack with hot glue or a few layers of gesso then move on.

Now, it is really really difficult for me to get nice clean lines from glue along seams, I would venture to say if you are going to try to pull something like this off, for you first one you might try *faking* it or rather covering up the seam with something else.

For example, my seam on this piece was terrible, not that anyone would ever know though, since the shirt is covering it up.

Next week I will be discussing how I came up with my pricing since many people who are starting out often ask. I hope you join me then and as always,

Happy creating!  Wenchkin

Wenchkin's Guide to Painting Toys (Part 1 of 3)

Union Riveter Wenchkin starts off her weekly Friday posts with a BANG! A ton of people have been asking what her method for painting and modifying toys. This will be a 3 part series. We look forward to hearing from Wenchkin every Friday, she is not only an amazing artist (she is the creator of our MR logo!), but also a huge wealth of information about art, techniques, and social networking. To be honest,we cannot think of one other single person that does social networking as well as she does!


Hello everyone, some of you know I draw but on occasion I also paint and mod toys. So I am here today to give you a run down on tips I think are useful when painting toys to get the best results.

Prepping:

One of the first things I learned is that not all surfaces are ready to be painted as is. I use acrylic paint which is water based and often pulls away and pools up on greasy surfaces. So to save myself any hassle I clean all toys prior to painting.

If I am dealing with a Barbie, My Little Pony or something with hair I first wash and condition the hair then tie it back and bag it so it will be out of my way while painting. Conditioning it often helps nappy doll hair come back to life plus it makes it smell nice.

I then take a cotton ball and denatured alcohol and clean the whole toy really well. I use q-tips for smaller harder to get areas. Ponies also come with a little design on their hip, I remove this with an emery board or some sand paper and clean that area again.

Every now and then I get a toy that still seems to oil/greasy even after cleaning. When I sit down to paint I run a test line first that is not an important one and wait for it to dry to see that everything is cool. If it starts to pool up I wipe it off then I give the toy a light coat of matte clear coat that I buy for about 3 bucks a shaker can from Home Depot. I will get back to clear coating later.

multiple ponies in progress
with different base coats

Let it dry completely and then I begin to paint. This has always worked for me. I also have a rack setup outside for spraying as this should be done outside or in a well ventilated area if you care to keep the brain cells you currently have. The rack also helps me dangle a toy for a more even coat and allows it to dry without touching anything. Sometimes instead of clear coating it I will give the whole toy a basecoat of a matte colored spray paint. Do not do this if you are not good with spray paint, you will have a drippy mess on your hands. You can also use gesso if you so desire.

Painting


I myself use cheap acrylic paint, Apple Barrel, Americana..... you know, the stuff you can find at any Wal Mart or Hobby Lobby. If will take two coats to get a nice solid color out of it on your toy but that does not bother me considering the price, array of colors and ease of being able to not go all the way to the art store. Someone has asked me the best way to get nice clean lines, first off you need a steady hand. If you do not have one you might consider using a slightly smaller brush then you need and under-painting it. Since you will need two coats anyway I use the second coat to fix and define lines so it is not the end of the world if your line is not so clean the first time, you can go back over it.

I was asked what the safest paint was for kids who may want to do this. Most of my acrylics come with a little black circular logo on them that states they are non toxic. This is another reason I used them. But I would also say pick up and read the labels of anything you hand to your kids in general and they should not be anywhere near clear coat, that is a parent only outside kinda thing. Apple Barrel paints are made by Plaid and you can see the non toxic logo and some info about their paint here.

Other materials, I will mention this just to do it.I have yet to meet a pen that did not smear when trying to draw on a vinyl toy. I only ever pen on lines knowing I am going to paint back over them.
Markers, I did a skeletal pony in sharpie, when I clear coated it, the spray reacted to the sharpie and the lines bled out. Unhappy results.

Someone had asked for suggestions on how to mod out a pony if you can not paint. I thought hard about this one and the best idea I could come up with is Inkjet Water Slide Decals. Some boys will probably know what these are as they are the kind of decal that usually comes in a model kit. You can print your own, backing is clear, cut it out, dip it in water and slide it on to the toy. A friend of mine customized all his own hot wheels like this.

Hair

ponies with rock hard painted hair

Pony hair is a nightmare to dye and deal with. if you paint it, it becomes hard and unbrushable. It will not hold real hair dye, it rinses out having done nothing. Best case scenario I redye the hair with a sharpie but then I have to use hair spray over it as the doll hair seeps the sharpie out as it just does not want to stick to it. My best advice, pick your doll my the hair color you want first or learn to re-root, something I know nothing about.



Brushes

zombie pony had purple hair before I used a
whole sharpie to color it black then used
hairspray to seal the ink into the hair

Do yourself a favor and buy some halfway descent detail brushes. Sometimes in hobby lobby I walk past the regular brushes and find the best ones for this are the ones sold with model kits or for pin stripping. My all time favorite little tiny brush I could not live without is made for painting Warhammer Miniatures, the Army Painter Insane Detail Brush, less then 3 bucks and my local dork stop.

Sealing

You do not have to seal your toys. I do just to help protect the paint job. As I said earlier I use a 3 buck spray can of matte clear coat and give everything two light coats, the first that day, then I leave it over night, then one in the morning. Or wind allowing at least 8 hours apart. I do not use a specific clear coat I simple learned the cheap stuff does not give me the results I want, the expensive stuff I can't tell the difference between it and the medium priced stuff so I buy the medium priced stuff. I use matte and on occasion a satin purely out of personal preference. If I want something shiny I usually paint it in metallics. This does not mean you can not pick up a lacquer or shiny sealant if you so desire, it is just not the look I personally like. If you do not know the difference, matte is not shiny, satin is kinda shiny, gloss or varnish is hella shiny. I currently use this one.

Be sure to join me for my next installment where I will go over more difficult mods and making accessories.
Happy Painting.

Wenchkin resides in Albuquerque with artist Scott Krichau and her tripod Jack Russell Terrier P. She will be featured regularly on Fridays here on Modern Rosies. Follow Wenchkin on Facebook, or shop her store on Artfire.

No, I said "PYROgraphy!"

Modern Rosies "Pop Rivet" (guest writer) Lian Fick said she wanted me to post an intro how-to on pyrography and for half a second, Brooke thought she'd have to put an 'NSF...' label on it. LOL! Not to worry! We keep EVERYTHING very family friendly here. Pyrography, put simply, is wood-burning. Actually, it's the marking of any surface by burning, but for today's post, let's just stick with the basics.

To get you started, here is a video I did last year.  It's just me, burning a very simple outline onto a wood panel and talking a bit about tools and techniques.


And a selection of the Q&A from my Facebook page and YouTube channel, just for you:

Q. I want to buy a wood burning tool for my brother...where can I find something like that?

A. Your question is answered in the video!

Response: Busted for not watching first! VersaTool it is!

Q. What kind of wood are you using for the work? cause you seem to put much strength when burner down.. And sth else... You don't shadow it at all? or paint it up with acrylics etc? It's just wood colour and the lines? Ah.. And... what's that sponge (?) you use at the end.. ?  That's all :D  Nice work!  Thanks!!!

A. OK, let's take these one at a time:

I work on basswood artist panels which hold up much better over time.  Pine, like the plaques at craft shops, is much softer and burns faster and deeper, but can warp a bit.  

"Tijuana Makeover" process: from burned
outline to finished mixed-media painting

The video only shows the first step of my process. Not only do I paint these, but I also use inks, image transfers and mixed media in all of my pieces.  I photograph nearly every stage of each painting and even have an entire Flickr album dedicated to my process.

The 'sponge' you are asking about is a foam sanding block by 3M that you can get in any hardware store.  You could also use plain ol' sandpaper.

Q. I want to wood burn some images on my skateboards. Would primer and lacquer affect the image in any way?

A. Yes - Primer and lacquer would not only affect the woodburning, it could be toxic! Even if you sand off the top layer of finish, there could be residue in the wood.  It's best to start with a new board or to make sure you've removed everything from the wood. 

Q.  How can I prevent "drag"? Is my wood too hard or my tool not hot enough? I've only tried once, but I wound up with pockmarks rather than a smooth line.

A. You need to have a smooth, even contact with the wood, so use one of the chisel tips I show and not one of the penpoint tips. If you rewatch the beginning where I show my technique for lifting the leading (back) edge of the tip, I think you'll see how I do it.  And yes, you DO need a nice hot, tip.

Great question, Lian!  I hope this is helpful to everyone.  Remember, this is just how I incorporate pyrography into my own style.  There is a LOT MORE to pyrography than just simple outlining - just  Google it to see some mind-numbing art.  I even have a friend who does detailed, shaded pieces with a magnifying glass and the sun instead of a woodburner.  (True story.)

Keep the "Ask Krissi's Art Studio" questions coming and I'll see you next week!  ~Krissi




Krissi Sandvik is a mixed-media artist and the owner of Krissi's Art Studio, home of Skelekitty and Friends.  She was recently named "best tutorialer on the web" by her friend Rachelle Rose.

Concert Promotion Tips from ThePaintedMan

When we asked around for guest bloggers to do a post over here on Modern Rosies, Justin was one person that we KNEW we wanted to have around the MR halls. He is smart, schooled in many DIY arenas, and has a wicked sense of humor. His blog is well known in the underground music scene, so who better to give us the run-down on DIY concert promotion?

When I was asked by the second most kickass Brooke in the world to blog on something DIY, I began scrolling through things I’ve made or created.  I’ve brewed kickass hard cider, mediocre apple wine, and piss poor hefeweizen… I’ve made beer soap for Christmas gifts and Mother’s Day… I am currently making my own tie tacks that I plan on selling on Etsy in the near future… I used to write and produce a ‘zine… but, my DIY ethic is most closely tied to the music scene.

While some of you know me at “thepaintedman” of thepaintedman.com, that’s only my latest in music related endeavors.  When I was 13 years old, I got heavy into the North Jersey punk scene.  Punk, ska, hardcore, and everything related seemed to be flourishing in the NYC suburbs and I wanted to be a part of it, trouble was that I have little musical talent (I can’t sing horribly well, my piano/keyboard skills are mediocre at best, I suck at guitar, etc. etc.).  I realized that since I was a good planner and hard a little bit of smarts and some okay connections, I could be a concert promoter.

I rocked together my first show when I was 14 with the help of Danny Papa from now-defunct Tooth and Nail Records band Element 101 and it was a huge success: 300+ kids, a hefty donation to the church used as a venue, and well overpaid bands.  From that point forward I promoted shows on and off until about 3 or 4 years ago, which (seeing as I’m pushing 30 in a few months) is a solid decade of DIY show production.  Through the years I’d worked with all types of acts and a bunch of different venues in NJ and PA… but today, in a scene that seems to need a DIY injection that could rejuvenate the glory days of the all ages underground, I present to you my short “How-To-Be-A-Concert-Promoter” in a few easy steps:


 1.  Secure a venue

The best bet with venues as a newcomer to the show promotion gig is free or super cheap places.  Often churches are willing to lend their halls for the opportunity to have their youth group handles refreshments or just put out some info on the church.  Sometimes fire halls and other community centers are able to lend their halls for a modest fee, other times they can be pricey.

Unless working with a touring act (which I would not advise as a first time promoter, as it tends to include guarantees, contracts, and set dates), I recommend working with the dates that a cheap or free venue is able to give you, especially a free venue.  While location is most certainly a consideration, cost is concern #1 for a DIYer (especially if you are a broke high school/college student as I was).


 2.  Secure needed equipment and help

You need a PA.  Most venues I worked with had PAs available, though I had my own through getting it used from a church that was upgrading.


3.  Book bands

As noted before, this step may come earlier if working with a tour.

That said, the important thing here is that you choose at least 1 band with a local draw, though more than 1 is ideal.  Bands from local high schools and colleges help to bring the kids out to the shows... they also often act as your best way to handle step #4.

Consider what bands ask for as guaranteed money when making decisions, paying bands is always a good thing, but locking into guarantees can be tough for the wallet.  Trust me, it's a tough lesson to learn when you barely have gas money and you work for minimum wage at your university's campus food services...not to mention that keeping ticket price down increases the number of kids at a show.

Not sure where to find bands... just hit up Facebook, MySpace, etc.  They'll come a'runnin'.


4.  Promote the show

I was an old school guy... flyers, flyers, flyers... bring them to local concerts, local record stores, schools, and anywhere kids hang out. 

Nowadays, the Internet can be your best friend.  Social networking can be especially helpful.  Facebook event scheduling seems to be a great advertisement for a concert.  Concert listing services and sites can also be a great tool.

No matter what, word of mouth still seems to be one of the most effective promotion avenues... using the "street team" concept can benefit you greatly... offer kids some free swag or a free entrance to the show in exchange for their efforts in helping promote.


5.  Be prepared for the day of the show

Make sure you alert the bands on what times (approximately) they will play... always tell them to be there much earlier than their set list.  Your biggest draws (even if they aren't the "best" bands or acts) should play at the end, so the kids don't leave and have your last bands playing to no audience.

Have sufficient change in your cash box at the door as this will prevent the annoying 711 or Wawa run where you attempt to get change in the middle of the show.

Get there early enough to make sure you are set up and everything works.  Even if you are using their equipment, this is essential!


6.  Start the show

Starting a show "on time" is a rare occurrence, so give yourself a little leeway.  If doors open at 6pm, assume you will get started between 6:30 and 7.

Be flexible during the show... if a band is late, the order can be switched.  Don't let other folks dictate the rules to you, you are the promoter!  That said, don't be the promoter Nazi, either.

The keys to a good show are being prepared, being able to direct traffic, being flexible, and MOST OF ALL having fun.  Why run the concert if it's not fun for you?


7.  Pay the bands/venue/etc.

As a show promoter, I was never in it to make money... but I did make sure that I re-payed myself for what I put in the cash box and snagged a coupled bucks to purchase some swag from the bands for my helpers and myself.

Pay the bands according to how much it cost them to get there, then their draw... in the spirit of the DIY ethic, bands should understand that those coming a longer distance need gas money.  If you have guarantees involved, you must pay them first, obviously... but I still contend that avoiding them is best if possible.


8.  Clean up

Last, but not least, leave you venue in better shape than when you got there.  You don't want to lose your valuable connection, especially if it's a kickass free venue (like St. Michael's Church in Wayne, NJ or Summerfield United Methodist in Philly - both of whom used to let me use their halls all of the time for free).


So, there's my abridged version of how to run your own concert.  Want more advice?  Hit me up at justincharlesharlan@gmail.com anytime. 

And check out thepaintedman.com for music reviews, beer notes, faith discussions, and a hodge podge of everything else I'm into!

 Justin lives in Pennsylvania, and is daddy to two rockin' boys, and husband to Brooke, of Brookiellen Designs.